Extolling StoneIdentity - July/Aug, 1994Page 1 2 3 4 5 |
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VersoTM is engineered stone created by sculptor Roger Questel at Intaglio, New York. Descended from a lightweight metal composite, Verso is a stone-like product developed for Timberland. You wouldn't call it marble or limestone, but you would say it was stone and not concrete. The composite has a surface composed of crushed stone (marble, slab, etc.) and a polymer core, with the final product custom cast according to specifications. The weight can be controlled to a large degree in the manufacturing process. "We can usually take half the given weight out of the original substance," says Questel. Verso lends itself to custom applications generated by the needs of the designer. At present, Intaglio is executing the Timberland logo in the form of a dimensional puck logo for placement on shoe shelves. Finally, Syndesis Inc., Santa Monica, CA, manufactures SyndecreteTM, a precast surfacing material composed of natural minerals. More of an architectural component at this point in its marketing life, Syndecrete appears to be kind of material that signage designers will find a use for. While partially composed of recycled and scrap stone aggregates, Syndecrete does not particularly seek to simulate natural stone; conversely, it isn’t especially concrete-like either (although it is about half the weight). The material can be and is custom-fabricated and colored according to specification. |
Plastic Stone Polymer-based solid surfacing materials such as DuPont's Corian@, WilsonArt's Gibraltar@, Fountainhead, and Avonite have been around for several years in the residential market, primarily for countertops. Today, the upswing in demand for the natural look of stone in architectural signage has resulted in new stone-like surfaces for these plastic composite panels. Compared to stone, the positive attributes of faux stone solid surfacing material are its relatively lightweight, lower cost, formability, and consistency of pattern. It can be fabricated using more traditional equipment than stone. Like stone, it is dimensionally stable, washable, and durable indoors and out. As cladding or background, solid surfacing needs no substrate, requiring support about every IS-in. In thicknesses ranging from 1/4- to 3/4-in., these panels can be built up to create monolithic, freestanding slabs that replicate monumental stone. The seams are virtually invisible once the panels are bonded. Vinyl graphics and lettering are easily applied to the plastic surface. "Gibraltar is shaped using the same techniques and equipment as wood," notes WilsonArt Design Group's Alison DeMartino. "Designers tell us they appreciate the added flexibility that gives them." Continued |
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